Colby Matney signs on at Portland State, University of Oregon basketball

For most coaches, a job change means hiring a moving van, taking the kids out of school and consulting Google maps to navigate a trip to a new part of the country.

For Colby Matney of Milwaukie it simply means a change in his daily commute.

Matney's career has meant stops in New York, Nevada and even overseas, in Germany. He's spent the last three seasons as an assistant for the women's basketball team at Concordia University.

This summer Matney left Concordia to become an assistant in the women's basketball program at Portland State University.

'Usually it means moving when you switch jobs, but it's a big plus to be able to stay here in Portland,' Matney said. 'Basketball is still basketball, and we've had a lot of success at Concordia. But personally it means a lot to get back to full-time status, and to make the move to Division I athletics - to be at the highest level you can go.'

Concordia has won the Cascade Conference two of the last three years, reaching the NAIA Division II sweet 16 in 2008.

Portland State has also enjoyed its share of recent success under head coach Sherri Murrell, reaching the Big Sky Conference championship game each of the last three years, and winning the title in 2010.

'They already have the program going good,' Matney said. 'I just hope to add to that in a positive way.'

Matney was hired in mid-July and his first assignment was a 10-day recruiting trip.

'Right now, I'm just getting acclimated to the program,' he said. 'My dad introduced me to the sport when I was four years old, and I just love coaching basketball.'

Matney is friends with PSU associate head coach Peg Swadaner, who played at the University of Oregon when Matney joined the Ducks men's program as a walk-on in the early 1990's.

The Vikings open the 2011 season on Nov. 11 at home against UC Irvine.